Video by MONA // June 03, 2020
In the newly opened exhibition ‘The White, the Green, and the Dark,’ presented by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Berlin, artists Ingrid Torvund and Jonas K. Mailand will show all three films from their ‘Under Earth’ trilogy: ‘Magic Blood Machine’ (2012), ‘When I go out, I bleed magic’ (2015) and ‘I found you under earth, under blood’ (2019).
Torvund and Mailand have collaborated on the creation of these visionary narratives, which are rooted in the natural landscape of Telemark. The pair’s unique cinematic storytelling mixes Christian mysticism with magic and folklore. Often, Torvund’s costumes, props and sets are exhibited alongside the films themselves, creating a holistic picture of the universe built up in and around these stories. The intricate embroideries and hand-carved creatures are part of a wider sci-fi vision that underlines the trilogy. We spoke to Torvund and Mailand about their process, the evolution of characters and how their films have been received in the art world.
This video is a part of our Features’ topic ‘Landscape’ and is presented in collaboration with the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Berlin on the occasion of their exhibition ‘The White, the Green, and the Dark: Contemporary Positions from Norway,’ in which Ingrid Torvund & Jonas K. Mailand are participating artists. The exhibition, curated by Sabine Schirdewahn, explores concepts of identity and home through intimate portrayals of the region’s landscape, both ecological and social, using a wide variety of media from sound and film to textile and sculptural works. A further emphasis of the contemporary works on display is the presentation of works by artists who belong to the Indigenous ethnic group of the Sámi. To read more from this topic, click here.
Artist Info
ingridtorvund.com
jonasmailand.com
Exhibition Info
ROYAL NORWEGIAN EMBASSY
Group Show: ‘The White, the Green, and the Dark: Contemporary Positions from Norway’
Exhibition: June 02–Oct. 03, 2020
Fellehus, Nordic Embassies, Rauchstraße 1, 10787 Berlin, click here for map
